Stop-light switch



Nov, 4 1924. 1,513,943

E. M. .SORENG STOP LIGHT SWITCH Filed June 28, 1922 (W IIIG.i

7 HUN Z .1 "In!" *2 W l1 1r ZO\ 17 16 27 g FI 4 WITNESSES Patented Nov.4, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR M. SOBENG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASS-IGNOR TO BRIGGS & STRAT'IO'NCOM- PANY, O'F MILWAUKEE,'WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

STOPLIGI-IT SWITCH.

Appflication filed June 28, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. SORENG, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Stop-Light v Switches, of whichthe following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for'its object to provide a strong and durable switchmechanism for closing a lamp circuit incidental to the operation ofthebrake or clutch of an automobile and thereby cause a signal lamp toburn indicating to those in the rear that the automobile is about tostop.

An object of the invention is to simplify the construction of switchesfor this purpose and to make them inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of thestop light switch as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings .in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in different views,

Fig. 1 is a front View of a stop light switch constructed in accordancewith this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof on the plane of line 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3is a back view;

Fig. at is a view-with the back-plate removed and the stem withdrawn forclosing the switch;

Fig. 5' is a sectional view on the plane of line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the plane of line 66 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the contact member.

In these drawings 10 indicates a. casing preferably of sheet metal bentup to form a rectangular housing for the switch mecha nism, which ismounted on a back-plate 11, by having lugs 12 at its ends entering slots13 of the back-plate and by having ears 14 at its sides passing throughnotches 15 in the edge of the back-plate and bent over behind thebackplate.

A plate 16 of fiber or other insulating material is riveted within thecasing 10 at one end thereof and passing through this insulating plateand riveted thereto are reversely bent contact arms 17 the outer ends ofwhich Serial No. 571,522.

pass through openings in the casing, which, as shown in Fig. 1, aresufficiently large to leave a wide clearance around the said arms andtheir attaching rivets to avoid electrical connection between the casingand the contact arms. The outer ends of the contact arms have screwsthreaded in them to form binding posts 18, while their inner ends standout from the insulating plate 16 in position to have a contact memberengage therewith. The contact member is formed by a plate of insulatingmaterial 19 having a metal strap 20 riveted on its back by means ofrivets 21 which extend through said insulating plate to engage the endsof the contact arms, as seen in Fig. 4:, and thus establish a bridgingconnection between them through said metal strap. The contact member isurged toward the contact arms by means of a pair of coiled springs 22confined between the ends of said contact member and the end of thecasing, there being, however, a sheet of insulating material 23 on theback of the contact member to prevent the springs constituting anelectrical connection between the metal strap and the casing.

Both the side edges of the insulating plate 19 and the insulating sheet23 are notched, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to avoid engagement with therivet which holds insulating plate 16in place. Both edges are notched sothat it is immaterial which edge is next to the rivet. The end of thecasing is intended to form an inwardly projecting boss 24 to hold theends of the springs 22 properly spaced apart.

The contact member is normally held off of the contact arms against thepressure of its springs 22 by means of a spring-actuated stem 25preferably consisting of a. strip of sheet metal passing freely througha slot in the end of the casing and surrounded by a coiled spring 26which bears at one end against the end of the casing and at the otherend against a follower plate 27 fixed on the stem] The follower plate isfixed on the stem by having a slot receiving the stem and by beingpressed-by the spring against shoulders of the stem formed by lugs 28cut from the edge of the stem and bent out of the plane .thereof. Thefollower plate extends across the casing and loosely fits the wallsthereof so as to constitute a guide for the stem but its movement isarrested by its engagement with the edge of the insulating plate 16, asshown. .,in..Fig. 2, which ,forms a stop i'onflthatpurposel Inthisphsition oi the V, stem its inner end bears against the Contactmember; and holds it from the contact 5 e leeiinIFisQ hQSP ngZQbeihgsufiicient str'engtlito overcome the springs 22. vVhen the stem iswithdrawn, how eyerl to compress the spring 26 and movethe followerplate 27 away from itspstop, the con 7 0 tact member returns under thepressure of its-springs in o engagement withthe .Qon act arm "17 torecstahhshtheideetricn m me-e lv ties-between i heli i i i In use, ithcasing .is .SGQHITQdIQ he ,b 1yw 15, oftherautomebi edn 1 54;.QE iIGl-JI ZLDILQI,.i Sl

b means of screws pass ng through i achingLea-rs 29,0n the-,back plate01; the easing or ,both while, anch ainm cable. connection is made:between the stem 25; and the brake treadle or, other part the movementof whichuis desired to establish the; signal cont-j nection. Wlllith theterminals ,of l'hesignal lamp circuit connected with the. respectivebinding posts 18; the .operati on. of thebrake, .treadleior.otherhpartiserves topdliaw he tem.

25 outwardly against the pressure is ring thus permitting. the 1contact; member to. establish connection between ,7 the. contact armsand so close thegsignalcircuit. The

3Q 1 return of ithe! .brake itreadl vpe mit h spring; the, contactmember to interm pt the ,signal cireuit. i V While; themechanical;-c011$trnotion, of the r switch .mechanism ofitl isinyentionjis vex ceedingly, simple and inexpQIlSiYfi, it .is strong nt;durable and irlesigne h giv 1 service.Witl1Q 1t ..1 quini gn tteliq tionanch vtthout the We r. o ina lr .l1he;. 1 en ec rneinb r guictectetneenithe m e NO lihe nas ng ,and the nsn l ting plat 1 gain t-the-itw;-centa t ra ing-ex ept hen displacedebyeth tpressnm ;-the; stem t i jreenter, creqnlres inoepotheli inb l iingi 0 SUP-Lt member 911 26-10lfetnrn the vstein, angl clis ljoclge ntac meirIflQe'r; n riltshnenterhie t r a. 16 and; held by the pressu 5 1;: heetiy i.. -spit ig ;LI

n ifiipti eehng xetrahtih e $1115 i ec ember 3012; 015. 3,; jieiil islhi mfh out of engagement with the contacts' e n switch; e sing, in ulatn Pla e seuf df here n?) tfl to the "insulating plate with their "iniierends ,fprrming contacts within the casing and their outer endsformingcircuit connecting means j Re iewing-them i-theie H Contact her looselymounted in the casing, springs confined between thfifilldguo rilllefithe conta t memherii lim. 'i

easement W ml ztsnring:

.g gingithen ntec vmemhe if o'tengagemeht it 4.=-1I,n arswitch, a Qelng,con eet ethen in, a contaq rmember, leosebi' tm lul l d Within; theasing,spr ngeebearing; e l-t e end in a e le ntact niemhen fo izt nvings t intotel gagement, w th the contac s; azste l' ablx meuntedinithecas ngefi llanenlp g, g ide 1 3 511 134 .cas ng, an 1 M p,ng-surrounding theiste and;, en nei nithe icesee ngia-nionithetolloweethte pisi i dfififim engaging the Contact, enlb awyayi irolniihe QQnfiiQs-T I 1aswitch.,,. casi gh ontac sat a contact meiihhen.. leosey mem ed,the casing for engaging the contactsne ma ed .springslhearineQn'it oneat stem. g idediin theh asi ng .Landiengeg; i

out f engag ment wi hrthece tas t-1 n ags'witc ncr asingan.insu ating petesecurfed With n the, asingncontecte rh s riveted to the insulatingplate and. formingcontac ithin theices ngs t.th r igfier ds and ir-Qu cotm et hggngeens. in c r. ing from the casing atgtheir ent eigienpls; antact inemherwcnmprisi g a p ete oti 'nnletingf ma eri l letting; mnetal1 stn nit w et'eol on its back by rivets adapted telengege the con ac s,.c ledi prings; ,pQnfined-Q between the contact member anohtllegendoifthe;

. casing, a tem; slideblyfimonnfied ini hete of the casing, a followerpl e on the stem ngagi g he. emen ca rying insu ati g plate as a stop, acoiled spring surroun' ing, the, stem anc l bearing on the ,eng1' ,o;E-ithe casmg ml. n e e i f llene .lplete; the/Jeni tot he em ser ingteQngeg ethe ontestmem-e belu ndh ldit may .fr mthe c ntests, and: i ck--p atese uh d oi heQa ihgfandhr ing a guide; for the follower,-platelendf n he. n actmember- 1. 11 testimony iwhereotLefiixi-my sigature;-

